ROURKELA: Rourkela city and rest of Sundargarh district continue to reel under heatwave condition with mercury hovering from 42 to 44 degree Celsius for the last few days. The first suspected sunstroke death was reported on Tuesday evening from Lathikata block.
Sundargarh-based District Emergency Officer (DEO) Sunita Singh said, the allegation of sunstroke death is being verified.
The deceased, Mate Nanuhar (55) of Kalokudar village near Rourkela under Brahmani Tarang police limits had gone to Gurundia block on Saturday and returned on Monday on a motorcycle. Travelling between the two places takes around two and half hours and he was continuously exposed to heat during the ride, said Lathikata BDO Sushant Singh.
On Tuesday Nanuhar’s condition deteriorated and he was admitted to Rourkela Government Hospital, where he died around 5 pm. The autopsy report is awaited to ascertain the exact cause of death, the BDO added. Meanwhile, rise in temperature has led to scarcity of drinking water and unscheduled power cuts.
The city on Wednesday recorded maximum temperature of 42 degree with hot wind making life uneasy. On Tuesday the mercury touched 43.9 degrees. Similarly, the district headquarters town of Sundargarh, about 100 kms from Rourkela, on Wednesday reported maximum temperature of 41 degrees Celsius and minimum of 21 degrees. Necessary instructions have been issued to authorities concerned to fight heatwave, said Sunita. Multiple control rooms have been set up at Sundargarh and block headquarters to effectively monitor the situation, she added. Sundargarh Chief District Medical Officer Dr SK Kar said, all health institutions across the district have been supplied with ORS sachets.
With rise in temperature drinking water scarcity has cropped up at slum pockets of Malgodam, Gopabandhupali, Madhusudanpali, Timber Colony, Bondamunda and Deogon of Rourkela city. Despite the heat, people continue to face erratic power supply.